Easy Weeknight Meals for Back to School
I’m sharing over 20 of my favorite tried-and-true recipes for easy weeknight meals!
With back to school just around the corner, I thought it was the perfect time to share my favorite recipes for easy weeknight dinners! These healthy, crowd-pleasing meals are perfect for family dinners and even make delicious leftovers to send in your child’s lunch box the next day. In my opinion, the perfect weeknight meal is simple and quick to make, a good source of protein, and delicious. Each of these recipes fits the bill!
My Favorite Easy Dinner Recipes For Back To School
Sloppy Joes
Made with ground beef, onions, celery, and bell pepper, these Sloppy Joes with zesty meat sauce pack a surprising amount of veggies! This meat sauce also freezes beautifully.
Meatloaf
My family has adored these mini meatloaves for years! This is Mitt Romney’s favorite meatloaf recipe, and the sweet and tangy glaze absolutely makes this dish. Save the leftovers for meatloaf sandwiches the next day. Our favorite sides to go with this meatloaf include this Four Cheese Mashed Potato Bake and Mississippi Green Beans.
Honey BBQ Meatloaf
For another spin on a classic meatloaf, I love this honey BBQ recipe! Rather than ketchup, this recipe uses your favorite BBQ sauce for a smoky flavor.
Turkey Feta Meatloaf
As someone who loves meatloaf, the Turkey Spinach Feta Meatloaf is a great and inventive way to switch things up. It’s a lighter take on traditional meatloaf and is a great way to sneak in some extra vegetables!
Baked Spaghetti Pie with Four Cheeses
This baked spaghetti pie is a hit with young and old alike! It uses ricotta or cottage cheese to add extra protein and creaminess, and is the perfect make-ahead meal to keep in the freezer or bring to a friend. For extra protein, you could also use noodles made with chickpeas like Banza pasta. I love to serve it with a salad, such as the Easiest Kale Caesar Salad You’ll Ever Make.
Turkey Chili with Beans
Is there anything better than a warm bowl of chili in the fall? This junior league prize-winning turkey chili with beans is amazingly flavorful and delicious! I love to serve it with Healthy Mexican Cornbread or Southern Style Pimento Cheese Cornbread.
White Chicken Chili
This easy, super delicious white bean chicken chili in a slow cooker is one of the BEST chicken dishes you’ll ever put in your mouth. With only 5 minutes of prep time and 4 ingredients, it truly doesn’t get easier for a weeknight dinner!
Baked Potatoes
In my opinion, the perfect baked potato is one that is delicious right down to the skin. These baked potatoes with crispy, garlicky skins are the perfect side dish for proteins like salmon, chicken, or steak. They’re also just as satisfying when piled high with toppings and served as a hearty main dish.
Chicken Tetrazzini
One of my most popular blog recipes for a reason, Chicken Tetrazzini is the ultimate comfort food! This recipe makes two standard-size casseroles, so you can enjoy one now and freeze the other for later. It’s truly two meals in one, and it’s perfect for busy weeknights or to take to a friend.
Mississippi Pot Roast
This easy Mississippi Pot Roast is a home run dish on several fronts! It’s delicious, ridiculously easy to make, and a crowd-pleaser every time. It is savory, rich, fall-apart tender, and makes for fabulous leftovers. We love eating this dish with perfect black-eyed peas, mashed potatoes, and sliced tomatoes. It’s also fabulous with cornbread in a cast-iron skillet, rice or cauliflower rice, and a salad like my Baby Bleu salad!
Sheet Pan Fajitas
These Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas couldn’t be more convenient! Simply add all your fresh veggies and shrimp onto the pan with your desired seasonings, then bake in the oven. These are also delicious with chicken or steak.
Parmesan Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer
What’s more kid-friendly than chicken fingers? You can serve or eat these easy, air-fried parmesan chicken tenders in so many different ways. I like to add them on top of a salad or into a wrap for a protein-packed meal. These chicken tenders will be a hit for the whole family, and the leftovers are amazing, too!
Spicy Hamburger Vegetable Soup
Full of veggies, zesty flavor, and hearty protein, this soup is always a hit. I love it served with jalapeño pimento cheese cornbread or blue cheese horseradish coleslaw.
30-Min Italian Meatballs
Made with 4 ingredients in 30 minutes, these meatballs are such a versatile protein staple during the week. They are delicious on their own or paired with oven-roasted vegetables for a low-carb weeknight dinner. If you are a pasta fan, they are FAB served over noodles or zoodles (zucchini noodles).
Italian Wedding Soup
This Italian Wedding Soup will be your new go-to one-pot dinner! It is nourishing, flavorful, and comes together in less than an hour.
Lasagna Soup
Lasagna Soup has all the contents of lasagna in one pot! It is super easy to make and doesn’t require all the prep and layering that lasagna does. Less prep, but all the delicious flavor, makes it a weeknight meal hit.
Healthy Pork Carnitas
Make these simple and flavorful carnitas in the slow cooker and then use them all week for burrito bowls, tacos, and salads!
Chipotle Copycat Beef Barbacoa
Try this beef barbacoa to take your taco nights up a notch! I love to serve it with my 5-Minute Perfect Guacamole.
Buttermilk Brined Chicken
A buttermilk brine leaves this roasted chicken juicy and so tender! It’s perfect served with roasted sweet potatoes or Garlic Smashed Potatoes.
White Cheddar Mac & Cheese
Cottage cheese is the surprise ingredient in this ultra-creamy white cheddar mac! Kids and adults alike will rave over this recipe.
Baked Ziti
If I have ever brought a meal to your house, there is a very good chance it was this Baked Ziti! It’s perfect for prepping ahead, serving a crowd, and it freezes like a dream. Serve with crusty bread and this Greek Chopped Salad.
Cajun Sausage One Skillet Meal
Made in one skillet, this flavorful recipe comes together in a flash! You can serve it over rice or cauliflower rice for a low-carb weeknight meal.
I hope these recipes for easy weeknight meals make back-to-school season a little bit easier. If you try any of these recipes, be sure to let me know in the comments below.
